TWENTY-SIX

For the first time in my gardening experience our tomatoes are flowing freely. I'm very ashamed of the dozen or so we didn't even notice before they were too ripe and fell off... One good crop makes you spoiled I guess. 

 2015 week twenty-six

Matthew carried our weed whacker strapped to his back while riding his bike to work because he was sick of peoples tall grass and tree limbs whacking him. He rode his weed whacker to work. Who is this person? Careful Lewisville or the Weed Vigilante will come for you.

We took a break from tantruming all morning after swim lessons (screaming while in the water, flailing around on the ground when we got out because she wanted more. the worst) to look at all the animals. The black kittens are on sale (!) because according to the sign, "Black kitties are the last to be adopted, please take pity on these sweet creatures." Petco, you almost won my $65. Too bad I'm pregnant and don't want to go near a litter box. 

Waiting at the airport for uncle "Jacum" to come home from Germany. V was more excited to wave the flag around wildly than to even see him, however. Also, I was clearly more excited to see her wave the flag around than to even take a photo of Jacob. Sorry. Still waiting for my chocolate, Jacob...

Toast, scrambled eggs with chives, tomatoes from the garden, apricots and peaches, and more of that best orange juice on earth.
It was cool enough to eat breakfast out of doors one morning, but Matthew was not brave enough to face mosquitoes. With our two citronella candles, however, we were just fine. I love eating outside. And I love sharing such a tasty meal with my little bug. That apricot was the most perfect apricot on God's green earth, and Vera cried and screamed at me when I tried to eat some of it. She knew what it was worth. 

The bug with the golden apricot. Later she would tell me to "shoo Mama" when I was in her way in the kitchen. Maybe she was still sore about me taking bites of her apricot. 

  Vera never put much of anything in her mouth as a baby. She didn't really chew or suck on anything and I was never fishing woodchips out of her cheeks. I thought maybe she was just smart enough to distinguish between food and non food since she has been obsessed with food from the start. She is still such a mooch. We only ever eat at mealtimes. EVER! And yet if anyone is ever eating anything within eyesight she sidles over with pathetic hungry eyes and begs for food. She could have just finished eating a huge meal and be stuffed to bursting, but if someone else starts to eat 3 minutes later she is begging for bites. I'm not sure what this means. I know she's getting enough food. Maybe she just thinks she is missing out on something really awesome and needs bites to make sure? Well, her adventurous palate has reached new heights this week. We don't use dishwasher detergent; just a splash of oxiclean and one pump of dish soap. I was loading the dishwasher when I see her little finger travel from the small pile of oxiclean INTO HER MOUTH! Luckily Matthew was right there with a full glass of water that we made her drink and spit. We told her it was not good to eat and that it was poison. Can you guess what she said 2 minutes later? "I love to eat poison."

  We're trying to eat more of the summer's bounty and see if we can only eat meat once or twice a week for at least the rest of the summer. I find the challenge exciting, and sidenote, our first week was magical. Every meal was better than the last. Can you keep a secret? I am loving summer this year and I have never experienced that feeling before. Something about all the fruit and veggies is just really calling my name this year. But back to the story: For our one meat meal this week I made hamburgers from local ground beef (I felt oh-so-fancy). I put the log of ground beef into a bowl and sprinkled some salt, pepper, and chopped shallots onto it. Then I turned around to wash my hands. As I turn back around she has two hands over the raw ground beef log and about a quarter of an inch of the log INTO HER MOUTH! This is not France and I am not equipped to serve you steak tartare, Vera!

  Then today, as I was skewering vegetables for family dinner I saw her sneak a piece of raw onion and not only put it into her mouth, but chew it up, swallow it, and politely ask for more. At church an hour later I thought I was going to throw up from her hot breath in my face. I guess she is taking too seriously our admonition that we "Always try one bite of everything."